


Midwinter Unfair

by jauneclair



Category: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: (I hope), Diplomatic Function, F/M, Ivan POV, Light-Hearted, Midwinter, Yuletide 2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-18
Updated: 2016-12-18
Packaged: 2018-09-09 10:59:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8888311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jauneclair/pseuds/jauneclair
Summary: Duv and Delia crash a party, and Ivan's big mouth runs away with the plot.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DesertVixen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesertVixen/gifts).



> More Ivan-centric than I had hoped it would be. I love this series but have never written in this fandom before, so I hope you enjoy!

Their diplomatic holiday in Ylla officially commuted and their return from exile ordered by no less than the Emperor himself, there was no reason for the former ambassador Vorpatril and his wife to continue attending the annual Midwinter party thrown by the Yllan embassy in Vorbarr Sultana. A thousand excuses could have been made to get out of the invitation. The truth – that the Yllan embassy on Barrayar was almost as much of a joke as the Barrayaran one on Ylla had been – probably also would have sufficed.

They were under no obligation to go to the party. But Ivan kind of liked it.

After all, Ylla had given him so much: a reprieve from Barrayaran politics, a reprieve from his mother, a really nice tan that had survived a whole six months in Vorbarr Sultana, and some really memorable sex on the beach with Tej.

He would’ve happily traded his new commission for more than memory of that tropical breeze now, as they dodged through the sleeting midwinter into the Yllan embassy. Ivan flung his arm over Tej’s head to protect her from most of it.

“Ivan Xav,” she said, smiling at him, once they were inside and their coats were being carted away. Ivan perked up. Sex on the beach was overrated.

There was an assortment of (mostly low-ranking) dignitaries and diplomats from Barrayaran and the other embassies in attendance, none of whom Ivan felt any obligation nor any interest in conversing with. He and Tej hung back by the bar, far enough away from it and drinking slowly enough that they wouldn’t be mistaken for alcoholics. Tej’s eyes stalked the path of a white-gloved servant who moved through the crowd with a tray of food. She wiggled her brows at Ivan and then disappeared on the hunt.

The Emperor’s Midwinter festival it was not. Still, Ivan was enjoying himself. Quite thoroughly, he thought, as he consulted the bottom of another drink.

Then Duv Galeni arrived and ruined everything.

Ivan nearly groaned when he spotted Duv with Delia on his arm across the room, but there was no hope of an easy getaway: Delia, towering over most of the crowd, spied Ivan and nudged Duv in his direction. The only person that van less wanted to see at a party like this was Miles. He had that same sinking feeling that he was about to be asked to do something.

“Duv,” Ivan greeted them once they’d made their way over. “Delia. Fancy seeing you both here.”

“I knew you were going to be here, Ivan,” Duv said, because Duv couldn’t take a joke. Especially not one of Ivan’s jokes.

“Well, it’s a shame you didn’t get here sooner,” Ivan said, “because Tej and I were about to make an incredibly graceful exit. See, here she comes now – I’m sure she’ll be very disappointed not to have a chance to talk to you, Delia –“

“Come off it, Ivan,” Delia said. “If the last few years have proven anything, it’s that you only pretend to be an idiot.”

Tej had appeared by his side. Ivan said,

“Thanks, Delia. But what’s a few years compared to a whole lifetime?”

“Do you really think that the facts and figures from the Yllan embassy haven’t crossed my desk?” Duv asked. “Look, it’s just a small job. Nothing dangerous.”

_Damn you, Duv,_ Ivan thought, and then he heard a voice saying in his head, _The reward for a job well done is…another job._

So Ivan came off it.

“I don’t care if it’s dangerous or just uncomfortable, I’m not doing it! Doesn’t ImpSec have people for that sort of thing?”

Duv gave a sort of half-smile that terrified Ivan and said, “Today, you.”

“We _really_ do need to go, though.” Ivan cast about for an excuse. Illness – not convincing enough to deter Duv, who was so committed to his job that he would probably undergo another round of torture for it. But something else suitably off-putting. It came to him like a bolt of lightning. “We’re not allowed to have too much excitement – doctor’s orders. You see, Tej is pregnant.”

“What?” Tej squeaked. Ivan gave her a wide-eyed stare. “I mean yes, yes, I am. It’s so new I forgot! Ivan Xav’s the father, of course.”

Delia was the first to manage to speak. “Congratulations?” She couldn’t seem to stop her voice from rising at the end, and she and Duv shared a wary look.

“Thanks,” Ivan said, trying to do his best to beam as he wrapped an arm around Tej. Tej just looked…a little green, which wasn’t all that bad for this little piece of playacting.

“I still don’t see why that precludes you from helping,” Duv said at last. “Unless you’d like to share something else with us, Ivan?”

“Not at all, Duv,” Ivan ground out.

“Five minutes is all I need.”

Tej was still looking rather green and horrified, so there was no help coming from that quarter. Ivan was forced to concede this one to Duv. “Fine. What is this about?”

Duv glanced at him. “Can’t say,” he said out of the side of his mouth.

“You trust me enough to help you with this but you don’t trust me enough to tell me what it is or why?” Being treated like he wasn’t an idiot meant that…he should be treated like he wasn’t an idiot, damnit!

“I trust you enough to ask the Yllan ambassador exactly one question,” Duv replied. “You’re to watch his reaction and report back to me. That’s it, all right?”

Ivan didn’t bother explaining to Duv that he had no interest in heroics. That was more Miles’ style.

He sidled up to the Yllan ambassador right as the man was pulling food from the serving tray handled by the same white-gloved waiter Tej had gone after earlier.

“Captain Vorpatril,” the ambassador said with a nod. “Are you and your spouse enjoying yourselves?”

“Of course,” Ivan said, lying through his teeth. He downed what was left of his drink, swaying towards the other man. He hoped his breath reeked of liquor when he opened it again. “Thanks for the invitation. Always lots of nice people. I was just talking to the Komarran ambassador over there – say, when will you be going back to Komarr?”

“Going back? I’ve never been to Komarr,” the ambassador said. “It’s not exactly high up on my list of vacation destinations.”

Ivan watched him, and then shrugged. “Can’t say you’re wrong.”

They exchanged a few more brief pleasantries before Ivan was able to weave his way back to Duv, who had assumed Ivan’s place near the bar with Tej.

“Nothing,” Ivan reported.

“Huh,” Duv said. “My ferrets were sure that it was him.”

“Win some, lose some,” Ivan said. He’d definitely lost all sense of enjoyment in his surroundings. He was about to tell Tej that this was it, there were really leaving this time, when a crash came to them from the other side of the room.

All three of their heads whipped around, back towards where the Yllan ambassador was standing. The crowd had thinned, through the sea of elbows and heads they could see the spilled tray of hors d'oeuvre on the floor. There was shouting, and then the crowd parted to let through the white-gloved server who Ivan recognized again. He was heading for the exit at an alarming speed.

Duv straightened almost instantly, his hand reaching under his uniform coat, but Delia was already there, with another emptied silver serving platter that she whipped around and hit the fleeing man full in the face with.

The crash was horrendous. Ivan winced in sympathy as Delia’s victim slumped onto the floor.  
Duv smiled, really smiled, and said, “Win some.”

  
***

In the safety of their aircar, Tej turned towards him and stared, aghast.

“Is it because I said you were pregnant?” A fraction of a nod. Ivan recalled her horrified look form earlier. “What, thinking about Miles’ hellions?”

Ivan chuckled, apparently to himself, because Tej didn’t respond for a few more moments.

“Ivan Xav…” Tej swallowed. “Before you came back from taking to the Yllan ambassador, the ImpSec told me that he was looking forward to seeing whatever kind of party your mother was going to throw for us.”

A very pregnant silence followed.

“Ivan Xav! _Ivan Xav!”_ He heard Tej screaming. “Watch out for that man!”

The aircar seemed to swerve of its own accord.

Ivan whimpered.


End file.
